It's true. The Penn State National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and Student 1st Step did turn Stephen Freind's visit into an "absolute and chaotic circus," to quote from Todd Lippincott's letter of Feb. 25.

We weren't obnoxious because we wanted to force Freind into advocating the legalization of marijuana, however. We realize it would be political suicide for any politician in Pennsylvania to do so.

We verbally assaulted him because he lied.

Freind said that "marijuana use invariably leads to the use of hard drugs."

Freind was alluding to the "gateway drug" theory, of course. Proponents of this fallacy use the following line of reasoning: "There are 5 million cocaine users in America, and 99 percent of them used marijuana first. Hence, marijuana use leads to cocaine use."

Let's try an analogous line of reasoning: There are 30 million marijuana smokers in America, and all of them drank milk when they were children. Thus, drinking milk leads to marijuana use.

Some would say my analogy is ridiculous, and I say -- that's the point.

If marijuana was truly a gateway drug, then wouldn't there be 30 million cocaine users also? Only alcohol and tobacco have been proven to be gateway drugs.

PS-NORML and Student 1st Step are more than willing to conduct an open dialogue with politicians: We did so two weeks ago with U.S. Sen. Harris Wofford.

But we will not stand by and watch politicians or anyone else lie to the students. We will continue to accost such liars, and we will not go away.